The Perfect One Day in Arches National Park Itinerary
Last Updated on 3rd May 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check out my privacy policy and disclosure for more information.
In this itinerary, we’ll go through the best way to spend one day at Arches National Park. One day will give you plenty of time to see all the highlights. Even though the park is relatively small, there’s a lot to do, so buckle up for the perfect one day in Arches National Park itinerary.
Arches National Park is one of Utah’s most famous national parks. It’s located on the eastern side of the state near the Colorado River. It is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, the highest density of natural arches in the world—no wonder it’s called Arches!
If you’re planning on spending a longer time in Utah, be sure to check out our suggested one week in Utah road trip itinerary.
Contents
The History of Arches
The area has been occupied for the last 10,000 years, since the last ice age. Until about 700 years ago, Fremont people and Ancestral Puebloans lived in the area. In 1775, Spanish missionaries found Ute and Paiute tribes there.
The first European Americans to attempt to settle the area were the pioneers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) in 1855, but they soon abandoned the area. Moab, an area to the south was settled in the late 1870s and word spread about the amazing rock formations to the north.
Frank A. Wadleigh was the first to bring attention to the National Park Service when he wrote to the railroad he worked for about the potential tourist destination. Support for the monument idea came, and a succession of government investigators went to see the area.
In 1926, the Park Service supported the idea, but President Coolidge’s Interior Secretary resisted. Shortly after President Herbert Hoover took office in 1929, he proclaimed Arches a national monument.
Over the years, the land included in the monument was added to by different presidents. It wasn’t until 1971 that it was designated as a national park.
When to Visit
While you can visit Arches year-round, the best time to visit Arches National Park is April through May and September through October. In June, July, and August the temperatures average in the 90s °F (30s °C). It can get cold in the winter and there is a chance of snow.
The park is quite popular. It received more than 1.8 million visitors in 2021. From April 1, 2023, through October 31, 2023, a timed entry reservation is required to visit the park between the hours of 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. and they may continue this policy in future years.
How to Get There
The national park is just under 4 hours from Salt Lake City, which has the largest nearby airport. If you want to spend some time in SLC itself, be sure to check out our Salt Lake City itinerary.
Other nearby airports include Canyonlands Field (CNY), which is 11 miles from the park entrance, and Grand Junction Regional Airport (GJT), which is 109 miles from the park entrance.
If you prefer to travel by train, Amtrak’s California Zephyr serves Green River, Utah (45 miles from the park entrance) and Grand Junction, Colorado (109 miles from the park entrance).
Where to Stay
There aren’t any hotels or lodges inside the park, but there is a campground. The Devils Garden Campground is deep within the park and a great home base during your stay.
There are flush toilets and drinking water, but the park does not have dump stations, electricity, water, or sewer hook-ups for RVs. There are also no showers.
The closest town to Arches is Moab, and it offers a variety of hotels. Some of the best places to stay include Red Cliffs Lodge, SpringHill Suites by Marriott Moab, Best Western Plus Canyonlands Inn, Aarchway Inn, Sorrel River Ranch Resort & Spa, Hoodoo Moab, and Moab Under Canvas.
1 Day Arches National Park suggested Itinerary
The sunrise is beautiful from the park, so if you can, get there early to watch it.
Devils Garden
Start by driving to the Devils Garden, which is about 18 miles from the park entrance. This is a 7.9-mile (12.7-km) trail that can be shortened, and you’ll still see some cool sights, including huge boulders, tunnels, and arches.
On offshoots of this trail, you’ll be able to see Pine Tree Arch and Tunnel Arch, which only add a little bit of time.
Landscape Arch, the longest arch in the park and North America, is on Devils Garden trail a little less than a mile in. The hike to this arch is easy, and it is well worth it to see the 306-foot arch.
After this sight, the trail gets harder. If you still want to keep going, hike to Double O Arch, which will make the whole hike 4 miles (2.9 km).
Double Arch
While the crowds are still low, head to Double Arch—not to be confused with Double O Arch—which is visible from the parking loop at The Windows. This formation is the tallest in the park at 112 ft (34 m) and the second longest (144 ft/44 m).
A gently sloping path leads to its base, and the roundtrip distance is only 0.6 miles (1 km). This is a great place to eat a packed lunch.
The Windows
Not too far from Double Arch is the Windows Trailhead. This path leads to Turret Arch, North Window, and South Window. The trail has a roundtrip distance of 1 mi (1.6 km) and only takes about 30-60 minutes.
Sand Dune Arch and Broken Arch
While the day is hot, it is the perfect time to see the Sand Dune Arch, which is only 0.4 mi (0.6 km) roundtrip. Hike through the sand to this shaded arch that’s hidden between some tall sandstone walls. This is the perfect cool spot to relax out of the sun.
You can stay here as long as you’d like. When you’re done, you can either go straight back or keep going to Broken Arch, which makes the hike 2.3 mi (3.7 km) roundtrip. Broken Arch is somewhat misnamed, as it isn’t broken, but it is cracked. From here you can see beautiful views of the La Sal Mountains.
Delicate Arch
At this point you’re probably thinking, “Okay, but what about the most famous arch in Utah, Delicate Arch?” Don’t fret, we’ve saved this arch for the best time of day. Sunset is the perfect time to see this stunning formation.
The trail to Delicate Arch isn’t shaded, so you want to avoid doing it at midday when it’s hot, especially if you visit in the summer. As the sun dips in the sky, start this hike.
It’s 3 mi (4.8 km) roundtrip with an elevation change of 538 ft (164 m). It will take 2-3 hours, so make sure you plan enough time. This hike is much more strenuous than most of the others we’ve seen. Bring plenty of water and wear hiking shoes.
You won’t be able to see the arch until the end of the trail. If you’re looking for an easier way to see this beauty, the Delicate Arch Viewpoints let you see it from a distance.
The opening beneath Delicate Arch is 46 feet high and 32 feet wide; this makes it the largest free-standing arch in the park.
Over the years, it’s been called “Cowboy’s Chaps”, “Old Maid’s Bloomers”, and “Salt Wash Arch”. It wasn’t until it was described as “the most delicately chiseled arch in the entire area” in a 1934 article that the term “Delicate” caught on.
Dinner in Moab
On your way out of the park for dinner, there are some great landmarks along the road where you can stop and take pictures. These include Balanced Rock and the Petrified Dunes Lookout. Stop at these and others if you have the time and energy.
After all that hiking and sightseeing, you’ll be hungry. Luckily Moab has lots of good restaurants and breweries. Desert Bistro, 98 Center Moab, and Sunset Grill are all local favorites that feature fantastic views of the area.
Stargazing
If you haven’t had your fill of spectacular sights, head back into the park after dinner to stare at the heavens. This remote area has some of the darkest skies in the contiguous 48 United States. Arches National Park became certified as an official International Dark Sky Park in 2019.
From Arches, you’ll be able to see a night sky like none other, especially if it’s a clear night and the moon isn’t out. The farther away from Moab you drive, the better your view of the sky will be.
Some of the best spots to stargaze are the Balanced Rock Picnic Area, The Windows Section, the Garden of Eden Viewpoint, and Panorama Point.
A final note on planning a trip to Arches National Park
No matter what you manage to see at Arches, you’re sure to have a fantastic time out in nature. Enjoy the thousands of archways and rock formations. If you’ve got more than one day in this area, you can take your time in each destination on this itinerary and expand it to fit however many days you have.
Have fun at Arches National Park!
Enjoyed reading this Arches National Park itinerary? Pin this article now, read it again later:
About the author: Lexi Cooper is a freelance editor and writer. Her parents taught her a love for traveling, seeing new sights, and learning about the world. Along with her passion for travel, she loves stories and dreams of spending her days reading and writing books and wandering the globe.
